All Forum Posts by: Mark Simpson

I love this! 

boostly.co.uk/books I wrote a full chapter in the Book Direct Playbook on how to do this 

Also, look at fridge magnets and coasters too 

You’re not imagining it — this is a very real shift that hosts need to prepare for.

Here’s what we’re seeing:

• Guests can now lock their calendars without paying upfront
• Airbnb can delay or withhold your payout (per their new terms)
• Chargebacks go straight to the guest’s bank — Airbnb won’t help
• A guest can fake complaints using ChatGPT and win refunds
• A French host lost a €7,000 booking because Airbnb’s AI misread the messages and refunded the guest automatically

Oh — and Strict Cancellation is being removed for services in October.

This isn’t one significant change. It’s death by 100 minor policy updates.

So, what are we doing about it?

We work with thousands of hosts to help them build their own direct booking business so they’re not entirely dependent on platforms.

Here’s how we’re doing it:

1. Direct Booking Websites
2. Clean, fast, and optimised to convert. Not just “pretty” — built to turn browsers into bookers. Fully integrated with 24+ PMS tools.
3. Guest Data Systems
4. We help hosts build guest databases (including emails, phone numbers, and repeat stay offers) so they own the relationship, not Airbnb.
5. Upsell & Retargeting Automations
6. We set up abandoned quote campaigns, SMS follow-ups, review reminders, and retargeting funnels to drive repeat bookings.
7. Calendar Sync
8. Still, use Airbnb or VRBO? Great. We sync the calendars so you can list everywhere, but always prioritise your direct channel.
9. Training & Support
10. Most hosts don’t need more tools. They need guidance. That’s what we give — systems, scripts, swipe files and support that works.

Bottom line:

Airbnb is still helpful. But it’s not your business. It’s their platform.

The only way to stay in control is to own the guest's journey from start to finish. That starts with owning your booking system.

If anyone here is interested in seeing how we do it, I'd be happy to share links or walkthroughs. Just reply, and I’ll point you in the right direction.

Let’s all stop building on rented land.

I've just recorded an emergency podcast for BiggerStays with Garrett about Airbnb Services and why everyone needs to opt-out 

IT’s only a matter of time before Airbnb rolls out simplified pricing globally and across all hosts.

The latest platform behaviour is basically writing on the wall:

• They’re already showing total prices up front in search results (just like Booking.com and hotels do)

• They’re nudging more hosts toward the 15% host-only fee model

• And they’ve started highlighting “transparent pricing” as a guest benefit in bookings

This isn’t just a test — it’s the warm-up act for full adoption.

Airbnb knows most guests hate surprise fees. By baking everything into one number, they can “feel” more like a hotel experience and reduce friction at checkout. It’s cleaner, more predictable, and exactly where the industry is headed.

If you’re not already experimenting with it, now might be the time to test it in a low-risk listing. Either way, brace yourself — because universal simplified pricing isn’t an if, it’s a when.

Hey all. I haven't figured out how to reply directly in a forum yet. =)

However, this is still early, I've only had access since Friday. 

Right now, I wouldn't be doing anything with operator as it's $200 a month

However, very soon it will be coming to the $20 a month plan. So stay tuned

That does sound good Michael. Any insights you can share?

After reflecting on a strategy someone used to buy 15 short-term rentals off-market in just 12 months, I thought of an idea. Here’s how they approached it:

1. Scraping Listings: They used web scraping tools like Beautiful Soup and GPT APIs to scan Airbnb for properties in their target areas.

2. Image Analysis: They trained an AI model to analyse listing photos, identifying homes with solid potential (good structure, layout, location) that were undervalued due to low-quality photos. These properties often generated decent revenue but underperformed simply because they didn’t stand out visually.

3. Natural Language Processing: They also trained an NLP model to review poorly written Airbnb descriptions. The model flagged listings that could likely generate more revenue with better descriptions.

4. Market Comparison: Using Zillow Zestimate APIs and AirDNA, they compared similar properties in the area and forecasted how much more the property could make if the photos and descriptions were improved.

5. Property List: All of this data was organised into a Google Sheet for further review.

6. Automating Outreach: They used Claude to generate personalised outreach emails and DMs to homeowners, pitching offers for the properties.

The entire process revolves around identifying undervalued homes that look worse online than they actually are.

Has anyone seen anything like this?

Interesting use case for ChatGPT Operator:

I asked it to do a market analysis and compare a random Airbnb listing to others in the area. It even gave suggestions on what I could improve based on what my competition is offering.

Link to the operator in action is here 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C1uTqgWGfs3AMsUdDWd0FOTbVFM...

Quick tip: don’t pay the $200 for this just yet. OpenAI has confirmed it’ll be included in the $20/month package soon.

I’ve already shelled out the $200 for this month, so I’m making the most of it!

I was thinking of running a test for more Real Estate based, if you would like to see it?

Got any other ideas or use cases you’d like me to test? Let me know!

Hi everyone! It’s been a while, but I finally managed to get back into the BP forum—great to be here again! =)

I came across this post while doing a Google search and wanted to chime in.

I’m Mark Simpson, founder of Boostly, and I’ve really enjoyed reading through all the comments. Feel free to ask me any questions—I’m happy to help!

Hey all 

I'm excited to be flying from the UK over to Orlando for BPCON 

I'm hosting a session for all STR and MTR operators on Monday at 3pm all about getting more bookings

This will be my first BPcon and I've heard loads of good things. 

Excited to meet as many of you as possible.